Lost and Found
by ash005
Summary: thiswillnolongerbeused.arewritewillbepublishedinrhenearfuture:)
1. Lost and Found Ch1

**Hey! So I recently watched a Warriors map titled "Let me down slowly" and literally fell in love. I've listened to the song at least twenty times and began to feel bad for Crowfeather. Literally everything he cared about was stripped away from him. So, I decided that through the powers of FanFiction, I should give him a newer, happier life.**

**_**

**Chapter One**

Crowfeather sat atop a hill, staring at the dark and gloomy world before him. The moon shone brightly in the sky while the Clans slept deeply in their dens. But not Crowfeather. His mind toiled with anger and grief. The memories of his one true love came flooding back. Her gorgeous gray fur...her wonderful smile. Oh how he longed for the smell of her pelt and the feeling of her breath against his cheek. But she was gone.

Feathertail was dead. Her precious eyes would never again meet his gaze. He stifled a sin as the image of his second love came into his thoughts. Her lovely brown fur. Her sweet amber eyes. But she is as gone too. Leafpool had chosen her Clan over him. But he understood. Who would want him over a Clan full of cats who care for you?

Crowfeather clawed at the soft earth beneath him, leaving trails of thin, rage filled claw marks. He had a son, but how could he possibly love him? He was born of him and a she-cat by the name of Nightcloud. She had taken pity for him when he was grieving...but he never truly loved her either. As the thoughts tossed and turned in his mind, another thought crossed his train of thought. _If I ended it all now...would I still be in pain?_ If he ended it all now, he could be reunited with Feathertail in StarClan and _finally _have his love.

But perhaps if he ended it all now, he would miss out on the rest of his life. Surely there were more cats for him to meet. Surely he had a much bigger purpose than to sit around and sulk. The wind suddenly picked up and carried a few brittle leaves along with it. He stared at the leaves with heavy eyes. In the midst of those leaves, a silky shape began to form. Crowfeather could hardly believe his eyes.

"Feathertail! I'm right here!" He shouted, hoping to get her attention. Almost as if she couldn't hear him, she danced away in the breeze. "No..." His voice trailed off. Anger welled up inside of him and his blood boiled. He stood up and ferociously ripped the ground to shreds. "How could you do this to me?! You took Feathertail away from me twice now and you made Leafpool choose her Clan. Does StarClan even care anymore?! Do they?!" He shouted into the air. No answer came.

Shaking the dirt from his claws, he stomped off into the distance with one thing in his mind. _If I'm not going to end it...I'm going to start it over. _Not even bothering to give his home one last glance, he walked away.

xXx_xX

A single moon had been set since Crowfeather left WindClan. Leaf-bare was definitely on its way with cold winds and a chilly atmosphere. The terrain hadn't changed much since his departure. The ground was still flat with a few hills. Only a few trees littered the ground. His pads were raw and bleeding from the long days of traveling. Ribs were now visible along his spine. Prey had been scarce during his travels and he had no shelter in which to sleep.

The inside of his mouth had grown dry and scratchy from the lack of fresh water. He thought perhaps leaving was a mistake. But it was too late to turn back...he must press on. Trekking along, he spotted a small Twoleg den in the near distance. He opened his mouth to taste the air, and his senses were overwhelmed with the smell of twoleg food. It tasted and smelled of meat...juicy and tender. Slimy bits of drool fell from his mouth and seeped into the fur of his paws.

Other foreign smells decorated his senses as well. Strange twoleg spices and maybe some sort of herb he recognized from the medicine den. Rosemary perhaps. He found his paws carrying him along until he reached the twoleg den. It reached high into the sky, a pointy thing nearly scraping the clouds. Placed randomly around the perimeter were many types of vibrantly colored flowers. None of which he had ever seen before. Some were as red as the blood that pumped through his veins. Some were as bright as the sky at sun-high.

He became lost in the beauty of the flowers. They reminded him so much of the beauty that Feathertail once held.

"Hey you! What are you doing here?" Crowfeather whipped around, his tail straight up in the air. His claws slid out hastily, prepared for any fight that broke loose. "I said what are you doing here?" He scanned the area quickly only to find a small gray tabby tom. His green eyes gazing deep into his. _Is he friendly? I must be on _his_ territory._ Before Crowfeather had a chance to respond, the tom pounced and pinned Crowfeather beneath him.

"Let me go!" Crowfeather exclaimed with thrashing claws. A terrible pain sliced into his shoulder as the tom buried his claws deep into his flesh.

"For the last time. What...are...you...doing here?" Crowfeather winced in pain. So much so that he couldn't choke up an answer. _Is this it? Am I going to die so soon after leaving?_


	2. Lost and Found ch2

**Chapter Two**

Writhing beneath the small gray tabby, Crowfeather swipes his claws trying to scratch at anything possible.

"I'm only here...to find food." He wheezed. The gray tabby cocked his ears and smiled. His white teeth caught the sun in an odd manner.

"Well then, why didn't you say so. Follow me, I know where the good stuff is." Releasing his firm grip, he felt the icy claws slide out of his shoulders. Crowfeather breathes a few sighs of relief before rolling himself over and standing up. _Can I trust him? After what he just did to me? _He slowly and carefully trailed behind the tom, cautiously observing his every action.

"So, are you one of them _Clan _cats?" The tom asked. Crowfeather's fur bristled. How could a cat so far out know about the Clans? Did he try to join once?

"Erm, yes," He replied hesitantly."I'm from WindClan. The one on the moor."

"Ah yes. I've heard of you. Now, what is your name Clan cat? I'm Salsa." They neared a large shiny cylinder. It smelled of strange things...nothing like the moor back home. Limping heavily up to the cylinder, Crowfeather gave it a cautious lick. It felt cold against his tongue, satisfying almost.

"My name is Crowfeather. Do you live in that twoleg nest?" He pointed with his tail. Salsa suddenly leaped onto the cylinder's top and began to tug at something.

"I do, in fact. They treat me and my mate quite well. We never go hungry." This tom had a mate? Crowfeather couldn't help but think about Feathertail. What would his life had been like if she hadn't died? Would he have kits that he could actually love? No...he had to quit thinking of her. It would only make things worse. He quickly pushed that thought aside and continued watching Salsa.

The more he tugged and heaved, the farther out came a squishy black blob. The top was secured with flimsy blue tethers.

"So, what are you doing?" Crowfeather chimed in, breaking the silence. Salsa gave one last tug and the entire cylinder came crashing down. Nearly crushing Crowfeather on the way down, it rolled onto its side.

"Now watch this." Salsa piped. Unsheathing his claws, Salsa slashes at the blob. Crowfeather's eyes widened with disbelief. Foods of all different sorts flowedbout like a river. Magnificent scents drifted through the air and tingled his senses. "Take your pick Crowfeather. I'm going to get my mate. Be right back." With a few swift bounds he was gone. Crowfeather honestly didn't mind being alone. He took at step forward and grabbed a chunk of some kind of meat. The skin was a golden brown color and the meat a delicate pink.

Sinking his teeth into it, his mouth dropped with a lovely sense of satisfaction. The meat was juicy and tender like a mouse. Only a strange flavor kept the two separate. It had a salty tang to it, yet it was still sweet. A few heartbeats went by and he chowed down like there was no tomorrow. Once his belly was full, he found a nice place in the sun and sat, contently grooming his fur.

"Hey Crowfeather! This is my mate, Sunflower." He looked up to see Salsa returning with a pretty yellow she-cat. Her yellow eyes were beaming with happiness. She clumsily hobbled over to his and dipped her head in greeting.

"Hello Crowfeather. I'm Sunflower. Please excuse my clumsiness. If you haven't already noticed," She paused and drew in a long breath," I am very pregnant." She drew her tail over a _very _distended belly. _She is due any day now. _He thought to himself. "So, what brings you to these parts?" He gave his cheat a few licks after realizing how messy his pelt was.

"I uh...just needed a fresh start. Life in WindClan isn't the easiest." He lied. He knew exactly why he left. The death of his beloved had torn his heart into shreds and he could bare it no longer. But his new friends didn't need to know that. Not yet anyway.


	3. Lost and Found Ch3

**Chapter Three**

The breeze blew gently that evening. Crowfeather lay tucked away under a small berry bush just outside of the twoleg nest. Goopy blobs of sleep clung to his whiskers as he restlessly tossed and turned. His dreams swirled with images of Feathertail lying on the stone floor, bloody and mangled. Her beautiful blue eyes strained to see him for one last time. Her last breath came...then she was still. He jerked awake with quick breaths. _It was just a dream._ He told himself. _Perhaps I should go hunting for a while._ He forced himself onto his paws then pushed his way into the open.

The sky was gray and cloudy. He tasted the air, concluding that rain was on its way. He trotted over to a patch of thick underbrush in search of any sort of prey. Suddenly, a quick movement caught his attention. There! A plump rabbit had spotted him and bolted for safety. He took off after it. His legs pumped strongly with muscles rippling beneath his fur. Taking an unexpected sharp turn, Crowfeather skidded left and began to run alongside the rabbit. With a single bound he caught it beneath his claws and killed with one bite to the neck.

This had been his first good kill in a moon and he couldn't be any happier. _I wonder if Salsa would want to share this with me._ A sudden bout of generosity came over him. So he decided to follow it. When he arrived at the twoleg nest, it seemed oddly quiet. Had his new friends gone somewhere? Maybe they were still asleep. Then it hit him. From underneath the nest came a shrill mew. Sunflower _has had her kits! _Placing the rabbit gently in a hole, he followed the mews.

Thin streams of sunlight poured in from randomly placed holes. He soon spotted Salsa who was leaning over Sunflower with wide eyes. He turned to see Crowfeather with a grin.

"Crowfeather! Look, my kitsvare here!" He proclaimed happily. Drawing closer to them, he could see three little balls of fur nestled into the curve of her belly. Two of them had gray tabby cots just like their father while the third had a beautiful golden coat like Sunflower.

"They are beautiful," Crowfeather congratulated,"Have you named them yet?" Sunflower lifted her head slightly and gave a nod.

The golden she-cat is Drizzle. And the two gray toms are Swift and Fog." Crowfeather took another step closer. His heart swelled with the a warm kind of affection. He had longed to have kits of his own with Feathertail and to create his own family. _I think I'll stay for a while. Just until the kits have grown._

"I've brought a rabbit to share. Would you like some?" He offered kindly. Salsa stared in amusement.

"Rabbit? Why, I've never heard of such a thing. The two of us have always eaten the pebble stuff our twolegs give us." _I nearly forgot! Of course a kitty pet has never tasted rabbit. _

_ "_Well, I guess you don't have to try it if you don't want to.

"I don't think we will. Not this time at least. But thank you for offering." Crowfeather curled his legs beneath him and began to feast contentedly. With the sweet taste of rabbit and the gentle coos of kits to fill his senses, he was finally happy for the first times in moons.


	4. Lost and Found ch4

** Chapter four**

Thunder crashed as the storm raged on. Rain poured down outside. Crowfeather sat beneath the twoleg den thinking of WindClan. He remembered the warm den he slept in during storms and the gentle rumble of his clanmates snoring. He wished he had a warm nest to settle into. But that would not happen.

Beneath the twoleg nest was cold and drafty. There was no moss or feathers or rabbit fluff. There was only dirt and a few weeds. Behind him, Sunflower and Salsa lay nestled in their hole. Their three kits were curled up by Sunflower's belly sleeping soundly. _Grrr._ His stomach groaned with hunger. He hadn't had anything to eat since yesterday and he was feeling a bit famished.

His joints popped as he stood, releasing the tension in his legs. _Ah, that feels better_. Giving his pelt a shake, he creeped outside. The rain was cool on his face. As it seemed into his fur, he relished the moment. For some reason, the feeling of a rain soaked pelt was refreshing. He opened his mouth and let the humid air bathe his tongue. Earthy aromas danced in his mouth. There! Not two fox-lengths away was a small gray mouse. _Easy catch. _

Tail straight behind him, he lightly and silently moved towards the puny creature. The mouse froze. It scented him. Crowfeather exploded into a run as he gave chase to the mouse. One bound. Two bounds. His claws were extended and his paw cam crashing down on the doomed animal. The was a short cry of terror then a snap. Giving the killing bite, he thanked StarClan for his prey.

He made his way back to the twoleg nest and crawled underneath. Settling back into his spot, he crunches down on the mouse. The flavors of the forest washed over his tongue. The meat was tender and satisfying to chew. This was the best mouse he'd ever tasted.

"Mmm" he meowed. There was rustle behind him.

"Is that a mouse?" Salsa asked, padding up to Crowfeather's side. His eyes were glinting with strange curiosity.

"It is. Would you like some? I caught it just a bit ago."

"I've never had wild prey before. This is exciting!" Dipping his head, Salsa bit into the flavorful meat. Chewing quickly, he swallowed. His eyes were wide.

"How was it?"

"That is the best thing I've ever tasted! Much better than what our housefolk give us." Sunflower let out a huff. The toms turned to look.

"I just can't seem to produce enough milk for these three.", she said groaning,"They won't grow big and strong if they don't have enough food." Just as she finished a shrill new can from Drizzle, the golden she-kit. They did look a bit small for they age of a few days old. A spark ignited inside Crowfeather's brain. Moons ago, he overheard one of the queens talking about an herb that helps to produce milk.

He stared hard at his paws._Now what was it called? Bo? More? Borage! _He stood tall, proud of his thought.

"There's an herb that the Clan's medicine cats use to help nursing she-cats produce more milk. It's called borage. I could go and find some for you." Her pretty green eyes brightened.

"Really? Oh that would be great!" Salsa stepped back to his mate's side and sat promptly.

"I'll stay here while you go. To keep watch." Crowfeather nodded and hastily made his way to the nearest patch of forest. Once again, the rain soaked his pelt. Except this time he hardly noticed. His mind was focused on his mission. He had to find the borage for Sunflower's kits. Now, to remember what it looks like. He racked his brain of every green plant he'd ever seen. As he trotted through the forest, he began to reminisce. The days he spent going to visit Leafpool just at the border were his favorite. His heart would jump at the excitement of seeing her and his adrenaline surged at the thought of a patrol catching them.

But those days were over. Now, he had a different life. Traveling deeper into the forest, a little patch of bright blue flowers caught his eye. _Hmm, those are pretty._ It hit him. _No you mouse-brain! That's borage!_ He set to work. Gently using his teeth, he nipped at the stalks. One by one, he gathered a bundle. With the plant safely secured in his teeth, he retraced his steps, and made his way back.

xXx_xXx

"Crowfeather! I see you managed to find some of that,er, borags?" Salsa said, greeting him as he placed the borage in front of Sunflower. He gave his front paws a quick lick to get rid of any wetness.

"It's _borage, _not borags.", he corrected,"And there was a good sized patch growing not too far from here." Sunflower gave the plant a confused stare.

"What do I do with them?"

"You chew them up and swallow them. The milk should come soon after. Oh, and only eat a few of them. We may want to save them for later." Following his instructions, she carefully chewed the plant and swallowed.

"Thank you, Crowfeather. The kits will appreciate that." He nodded, accepting her thanks. As the storm continued on, he noticed a strange feeling inside him. It was a strong feeling that he had never felt before. What was it? He sat there for a while and thought on it until he came to a conclusion. He had never in his life been so glad to have helped another cat. This is what it felt like to _happily_ help someone._ Maybe this is where I belong. Maybe...I finally have a home._


	5. Lost and Found ch5

**Chapter Five**

Three moons had passed since that day with the borage. Crowfeather had remained with Salsa and his family living beneath the twoleg nest. The kits had grown into fine young cats. Drizzle's coat had gotten slightly darker and the two toms had developed bold tabby markings like their father. Many great things had happened since that day. But one thing that shook his friends to the core took place.

The twoleg that dwelled in the nest had passed away and left them relying solely on the prey that the forest provided. Even then, there was hardly enough. With Leaf-fall nearing an end, leaf-bare would soon be upon them. And Crowfeather knew just what a preyless leaf-bare did to a cat.

"Uncle Crowfeather is back!" Fog announced. Crowfeather stalked under the nest with a scrawny rabbit dangling from his jaws. This would only be able to feed about three of them and the kits _always_ came first. The rabbit made a soft _thud_ as he dropped it in front of the three littermates. Salsa and Sunflower padded up to them with little smiles on their faces.

"Now remember, split your prey evenly." Sunflower gently reminded them. Swift shot her a perturbed glance and continued eating. While she watched her kits eat hungrily, Salsa padded over to Crowfeather. Worry seemed to linger in his green eyes. This caught Crowfeather's full attention.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Before answering, Salsa gave his mate and kits a long stare.

"We both know the prey is running low. With the cold weather rapidly approaching, we won't have enough to sustain us. I can't have my family suffering.", he reeled in a long breath,"What do we do, Crowfeather?" Salsa's question stunned him. No cat had ever come to him for help. He did not know how to react in this situation.

Despite his grey friend just now bringing this up, Crowfeather had been thinking on this question for a while. What _would_ they do if the prey ran out. At that point in time, staying put was the worst option. He sighed preparing to tell Salsa his thoughts.

"Running out of prey is our worst case scenario. If we're keeping the kits best interest in mind, then I think we should take drastic measures."

Salsa looked perplexed.

"Drastic measures? What do you mean by this?"

"Salsa, I think we should find a new place to live."

"I was afraid you were going to suggest that.", he meowed,"Personally I'm willing to do whatever is needed. Sunflower on the other paw, I'm not so sure. This has been her home since kithood and I don't know how she'd react to living as a wild cat."

Crowfeather could understand this. As a Clan cat, he could never in his life imagine becoming a kittypet. That was probably how Sunflower felt. Glancing past Salsa's shoulder, he could see Sunflower playfully batting at her kits with a gleeful grin. An image of Feathertail playing with kits crossed his mind. He forced it to go away. _No, you _must_ stop thinking of her. She is gone._

_ "_Well we can't stay here. Let's go ahead and tell Sunflower. If we're going to leave, we must leave before sundown."

The two of them took Sunflower aside and told her their plans. Her reaction was nothing short of expected. At first, she did not want to go. She spat and argued with them. So much so that kits were frightened. It only took a few more moments of explaining and pleading for her to agree.

"I'll do whatever is best for my kits. So if that means leaving this place to find a new home...I'm willing."

This made Crowfeather happy. Now they could leave with no issues. The sun had not yet reached its highest point in the sky, so they had some time to rest before their departure.

"We've got some time before sundown. If you wish, sleep for a bit and save your energy." Crowfeather suggested.

Sunflower nodded, her yellow eyes glinting with uncertainty.

"Let me tell the kits of our plans."

Salsa followed her and gathered the kits in a circle. While they did that, he was going to take a nap. He spun in circles for a moment before finding a comfortable spot. Resting his head on his front paws, he drifted into a nice sleep.

_He opened his eyes. Instead of dirt and weeds being beneath him, there was lush green grass. There was no wind, no scents, and no sound. Jumping to his paws and sliding his claws out, he was ready for a fight. There was a rustle behind him._

_ "Who's there?" he called out, whipping around. To his surprise, standing the was a cat. His pelt was a stunning white color that seemed to gleam with starlight. A deep brown were his eyes. The cat didn't appear to be hostile so Crowfeather relaxed._

_ "Peace, young warrior. I'm not here to bring harm."_

_ Crowfeather ran his eyes over the cat's body and took notice of his features. His tail was long and sleek with with grace as it waved behind him. His ears were perked and his brown eyes stared at him with friendliness._

_ "What is your name?" Crowfeather asked. _

_ The white tom hunched his hind legs and sat, wrapping his tail around his paws._

_ "My name is White Throat. I presume you are Crowfeather?" _

_ Confused, he nodded._

_ "Yes...that's correct." A feeling of unease stirred in the pits of his belly. How does this cat know his name?_

_ "Crowfeather, you mustn't forget your past. You must allow it to guide you." _

_ There was a crack of thunder, then darkness._

He woke with a start, the images of his dream still clear in his mind. Outside, rain poured yet again.

"Crowfeather, it's nearly dusk. Should we be leaving?"

Shaking his head, he blinked confused. Had he really been asleep for that long? Surely it had only been a quick nap. Either way, they did, indeed, need to head out.

"Yes. Gather the kits and Sunflower. Then we will go."

Moments later, Salsa returned with his mate and three kits, who were weaving in and out of their mother's legs.

"Oh, stop it you three. Now listen to Crowfeather. He is going to tell us what we're doing."

Drizzle beamed at him with excitement shining in her wide yellow eyes. Fog and Swift did the same. However,they were not sitting still.

"This is so exciting! We're going on an adventure!" Fog exclaimed while nudging his brother. Swift nudged Fog back and continued to watch Crowfeather with bright blue eyes.

"Yes Fog, this is exciting. But there are dangers at every turn." This seemed to quiet them down. "Now, there are some rules. Never stray away from the group or wander off. If threatened by any cats or wild animals, stay behind or below one of us. And lastly, do _not_ eat any plants unless given to you by one of us. Got it?"

Everyone nodded and the kits straightend up.

"Danger is no match for me. Swift will keep you safe!" Swift proclaimed.

"No, I will!" Fog challenged. Crowfeather watched as the two began to tussle. _Boom!_ The kits jumped, spooked by a roll of thunder. Drizzle giggled at her brothers. Salsa suddenly gasped.

"Crowfeather, I forgot to bring this up earlier, but there is a large twoleg path beyond the forest you've been hunting in. So we should probably head in the opposite direction."

This sounded reasonable to him. Thunder paths are never good news. Especially when they were traveling with kits. Crowfeather looked down at Drizzle and her yellow eyes. In them, he could see curiosity and liveliness blooming like a vast field of flowers. He made it up in his mind right then and there that he would do anything to protect these kits.

"Thank you, Salsa. We will head in that direction.", with a quick look around, he flicked his ear."Alright, let's go."

**Hey guys! Just a quick check in. Are you enjoying the story so far? Are you curious to see what happens next? Well, I've got good news. I have many plans for the upcoming chapters and of course, new characters will be added.**

**I'd also like to apologize for any mistakes in the chapters. I did happen to catch one where I said Sunflower's eyes were green. They are, in fact, yellow. I was writing late at night and I guess I was tired lol.**

**Thanks for reading. Have a good day! :)**

* * *


	6. Lost and Found ch6

**Chapter Six**

Hunger clawed at Crowfeather's belly as he stalked through the long grass. They had traveled for two days and made it to a huge field of overgrown plants. Luckily, the rain had ceased and the skies were now foggy and grey. Behind him he could hear Drizzle griping.

"My paws hurt and I'm really hungry." she cried. Crowfeather growled quietly. All of their paws aches and they were all deprived of fresh-kill. As they trudged forward, the wind began to pick up. His fur layed flat against his now skinny body.

"Crowfeather, can we _please_ take a break? My legs feel like they're going to fall off!" Salsa groaned. Frustrated, he gave in. He flopped over onto his side and breathed heavily. It did feel good to take a break from walking, but they needed to continue on. There was a poke at his flank. Drizzle stood next to him, her golden pelt messy from the wind.

"Hi Uncle Crowfeather. Could I maybe, sort of, take a nap with you?" her new was gentle and sweet. The glint in her eyes melted his heart. How could any cat say no to her?

"Oh, alright." She squeaked and nuzzled into the crook of his front leg. He rested his tail over her back and very quickly drifted off to sleep.

_ There was a single gust of wind that blasted his fur. Then...nothing. The snap of a twig told him that he was not alone._

_ "Hello, Crowfeather." There stood a brilliant white tom. It was White Throat once again. His brown eyes gazed at him with friendliness._

_ "Hello...White Throat?" It was strange seeing a cat in his dream that he had never actually met before. Perhaps he was some sort of spirit."Why are you here? In my dream?" Crowfeather questioned. The tom blinked slowly._

_ "Walk with me. I want to show you something." Hesitating only slightly, Crowfeather followed him. The lush grass under his paws suddenly faded into a hard, sand-like gravel. It was very strange. "Look in front of us. Tell me, what do you see?" _

_ Stretching his gaze, a scene began to unfold in front of him. There, in front of him, was a large area of earth that was flat and covered in stone. Around the perimeter of this area were tall stone towers shooting up into the sky. Crowfeather cocked his head. It was possibly the strangest thing he'd ever seen._

_ "Tell me, what do you see?" Crowfeather squinted his eyes._

_ "Erm, there are stone towers and uh...and uh..." He observered farther. Behind all the stone towers was a mountain sort of thing. It went on for miles and miles, too far for him to see. He could see over it so it must not be _super_ tall. Wait. Something caught his eyes. There in the center of the mountain was a hole just large enough for a cat to walk through with its tail straight up. "There's a hole." he added._

_ "Very good observation my dear warrior. Now return to your friends and guide them well.", White Throat turned and stared him dead in the eye. A shiver of fear ran down Crowfeather's spine. "Let your past guide you. Not your present."_

_ There was a crack of thunder, than darkness._

He woke with a tiny paw poking into his side. Drizzle was wide awake.

a

"Come on Uncle Crowfeather! Father says we're ready to move again." Rising to his paws, a familiar smell wafted into his nose. Someone had caught prey.

"Who caught prey?" Salsa padded forward, his chin held high with pride. A plump mouse dangled from his mouth. He dropped it by Crowfeather's feet.

"I caught it. We already had our fill so this mouse is for you."

"You caught this?" he asked with a surprised expression.

"Sure did. It was difficult but I did it."

"Hmm, good job." Crowfeather meowed. He very quickly gulped his mouse down. Sunflower hurried her kits in front of her with her tail and licked her paw.

"Shall we go?" Crowfeather glanced around them.

"Yes."

xXx_xXx

They had been walking for quite some time and had only just made it out of the long grass. In front of them lay a wide expanse of gently sloping hills. The wind blew ever so gently and whistled in his ears. It was almost comforting to Crowfeather. Drizzle,Swift, and Fog were trotting side by side in front of the group with energetic squeals. Just the sight of them bounding with joy made his heart soar.

Salsa and Sunflower padded up to his flank, tails high in the wind. It was obvious to him that they were enjoying the breeze.

"So Crowfeather, where do you suppose we're going to live? After this whole journey?" Hmm, he hadn't thought about that. Perhaps they could find somewhere with territory similar to that of his previous home, WindClan. He could teach them how to hunt on the moor and how to run at the speed of wind. Lost in his thoughts, his nose began to tickle. A tangy smell, tainted with earth and rabbit washed over his tongue. He screwed up his nose and lips. Why was this scent so familiar? Salsa, who must have taken notice of Crowfeather's face, tapped his side with his tail.

"Are you alright, Crowfeather?" He snapped back into reality. Salsa's bright green eyes were boring holes into his.

"Oh, yes. I'm alright." he replied halfhearted. His mind still could not touch on what the scent was. Continuing on, he watched the three kits play. Drizzle's pelt blended in with the dry grass almost perfectly. Suddenly, an image crossed through his mind. The golden grass, the blue sky, and tangy rabbit scent. _Oh StarClan!_ It hit him. He knew exactly where they were. He knew the scent. They were in WindClan territory.

"Stop! All of you, come here, now!" he commanded. Fog,Drizzle, and Swift obediently returned to their mother's side. The group had froze...not a single muscle moving. Silence was the only thing that greeted his ears. Crowfeather's heart nearly beat its way up his throat. _Whoosh!_

A flash of black fur and a bolt gray scared him out of his pelt. Before any of them had a chance to react, they were surrounded. A growl rose in his throat as he recognized the cats surrounding him. There was Nightcloud and Ashfoot standing hostile in front of him. To his left was a little gray and white she-cat, Furzepaw. A sharp pang of regret sliced at his heart when he looked to his right...it was his son, Breezepelt.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Is that _really _Crowfeather?" Ashfoot taunted. Sunflower flinched at a hiss that came from Breezepelt.

"What is this _traitor_ doing back in WindClan territory?" Nightcloud nodded.

"I'd like to know the same thing." she said, glaring at him with deep hatred. Crowfeather took a deep breath to calm his nerves.

"Hello...Ashfoot. I mean no harm to you or any of the other cats. My friends and I are simply passing through." Furzepaw snorted with her claws flexing.

"So he's made friends with kittypets now. He's a disgrace to _all_ of the Clans."

Ashfoot waved her tail for silence. Her eyes watched him and his friends with hostility. He prayed that this would end without bloodshed.

"Welcome back to WindClan. You and your friends may pass..._after_ you come back to camp with us. I'm sure Onestar would _love_ to say a few things to you."

Fog whimpered behind him. A snort of disgust can from Breezepelt. Crowfeather had to keep his friends safe. So if that meant he had to return to his once loved home, he would go.

"Alright. Take us. But do _not_ touch any of my friends.", he warned,"I may have been gone for a while, but I'm still a warrior. A fight is no issue for me." Nightcloud rolled her eyes. As they forcefully guided them to the camp, Crowfeather couldn't help but pray to StarClan. WindClan may not respect and love him anymore. But maybe...just maybe...StarClan would.

**Hey! Sorry for the short chapter. I was eager to get something exciting down while I planned for the next chapter. I like to plan ahead..lol. Hope you enjoyed this chapter （ω）**


	7. Lost and Found ch7

** Chapter Seven**

Inside the WindClan camp, all eyes were on Crowfeather and his group. And not one was friendly. Mewls of anger rang loud across the clearing. Anger, hatred, and disgust radiated from his old Clanmates.He found it quite strange to be back inside his old home. It was just the same as he left it. The fresh-kill pile remained full. Weeds still sprouted from the camp walls. Nothing had changed. There, standing tall in the center of the camp, was Onestar. He did _not_ look pleased to see him. A gentle breeze blew against his tabby pelt.

"Well if it isn't the one and only Crowfeather. Say, what brings you back home?" Onestar jeered, making his friendly worded greeting, not so friendly. Crowfeather stood nervously. Keeping his ears trained towards Salsa and his family, he thought carefully of what he was about to say. He hoped that carefully chosen words would prevent these cats from possibly starting something.

"Look, Onestar. I'm not here to join WindClan again or start anything that would cause an uproar. My friends and I are simply passing through. So if you will, please, just let us be on our way, and you'll never see us again." He glanced over his shoulder to see Salsa nodding softly. His green eyes were saying "well spoken". Onestar snickered in response.

"Oh I know you're not joining WindClan. _You_ are most certainly not welcome here...anymore."

"Eek!" Drizzle squeaked behind him. A brown warrior had stalked towards her with wild eyes. His brown pelt was shiny with the glossiness of a freshly groomed coat.

"This little kit sure is a pretty one. What do you say we keep _her_ and let the rest of you go." The tom seemed to grow more eager the more scared Drizzle became. Crowfeather snorted in disgust, just loud enough for the tom to hear. _What a wretched cat he is!_

"Stand back Antpelt! She may be pretty, but she's a bit young. Don't you think?" said the WindClan leader, his eyes nearly burning into the tom's fur. Antpelt only rolled his eyes.

* * *

"Whatever you say...Onestar." With one last look at Drizzle, he stalked to join the other cats. Crowfeather looked up to Onestar as he flicked his tail.

"Now, to deal with you.", he called out,"I, Onestar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this cat." What was this? A naming ceremony? Crowfeather could see that the other cats were just as confused as he was. A twisted grin came over Onestar's face. "This cat has defiled his Clan. He not only took a mate from a different Clan, but he also ran away like a cowardly kittypet!"

"He is a worthless cat! Get rid of him!" A cat shouted from behind. Sunflower and Salsa stepped up beside him for support. He could feel the soft pelts of the kits brush against his legs as they squeezed under him. A sudden realization came over him. These cats were his friends. His _true_ friends. They cared for him. They trusted him. He didn't need WindClan anymore...they were nothing to him.

"So, kittypet, I want you to have the full blow of shame that you deserve. Which is why I am exiling you right here. From this moment forth, you are as good as dead to this Clan. If you ever show up on this territory again, you bet your whiskers you won't make it out alive. And that's a promise."

Breezepelt inched closer with his claws extended.

"Yeah, and if your little friends ever come back...I'll rip them limb...from limb. And don't you forget it." he growled. Sunflower whimpered at his vicious threat. This seemed to please Onestar greatly.

"Get out of here, Crowfeather. And don't come back." he ordered smoothly. Crowfeather dipped his head with the little bit of respect he had left for his previous leader, then gestured for them to leave. Just as they were about to slip out, two cats stole his attention. Sitting about four mouse-lengths away from the entrance were two cats. One, a dark ginger she-cat and the other a black and white tom.

Both stared at him with curious eyes. Something about them made him feel uneasy. Unlike the rest of their Clanmates, these two were not angered. Instead, they were...admiring? He pushed the idea of them away and followed his friends out of the camp. This was it. He would never see these cats or this camp again. All of it would be left behind in his unflattering and tragic past. His WindClan roots were no more.

"Good riddance." He spat under his breath.

xXx_xXx

The sky had darkened and the first stars were just peaking out from silverpelt. Swift and Drizzle were going on about how much they hated WindClan and would stop at nothing to beat them in a battle. _They would make some fine warriors._

_ "_Yes Crowfeather, they would." Crowfeather jumped at the voice that had appeared to come out of nowhere. Salsa and Sunflower looked at him, confusion hiding in theirs eyes. Embarrassed, he shook it off and acted as if he was just spooked. In reality though, his heart beat quickly in his chest. Where had that voice come from? More importantly, _who _did it come from?

"It was I, White Throat." There it was again! He glanced around, but saw no White Throat.

"White Throat? Is that you?" he whispered, head lowered.

"Yes Crowfeather. It is I." Crowfeather looked to see if the others had heard him. He assumed they mustn't have because they continued with their own conversations. "Don't worry, they cannot hear me. Only you can." To him, that was a relief. The dreams he'd been having were strange enough. He didn't want his friends to be burdened with them as well.

"Do I have to speak out loud for you to hear me?"

"No, I can hear the thoughts you leave open for me to hear. If you wish for a thought to stay private, simply guard it with your intentions." Hmm. Intentions? What in the name of StarClan did that mean? _Snap. _In an instant, Crowfeather, Salsa, and Sunflower had whipped around. Their claws flashed brightly and their ears were focused. Each of them sniffed the air. Had they been followed by a WindClan patrol? He wouldn't put it past them to do something like that. There was a brush at Crowfeather's leg. Fog and Swift were standing there with stiff legs.

Their little ears and noses were trained straight ahead. They were ready.

"Come out you coward!" shouted Swift.

"Yeah! Or I'll tear your fur off!" proclaimed Fog.

There was another rustle coming from a small shrub. From it, popped out two cats. _Oh my stars._ It was the two cats from WindClan...the ginger one and the black and white one.

"It's alright you guys. I recognize these cats." Padding forward he made his way to the cats. The little black and white tom let off just a hint of fear scent. The ginger one, however, was not frightened. She was poised for attack.

"Please...don't eat us." the tom pleaded. In attempt to seem friendly, he lowered his head and softened his tone of voice.

"Don't worry, I won't eat you. I prefer mice.", Crowfeather joked,"What are you two doing all the way out here? WindClan surely must be missing you." The ginger she-cat stepped up with a proud stance.

"They won't be missing us. Onestar wasn't too fond of us anyway.", she stated,"My name is Gingerpaw and this is my friend Cliffkit." Crowfeather, still worried that they'd been followed, straightend up. They were already a good distance from WindClan territory and the little cats looked tired. He couldn't just send them back all alone. And he _definitely _couldn't return them himself.

"Why on earth would you follow us all the way out here. Especially after what Onestar and the others said!" he questioned. Most apprentices wouldn't dare to follow a group of cats this far from camp. Something told Crowfeather that these two had a good reason.

"You and your friends just seemed so cool and brave! I mean, you left and came back with more cats. That's awesome!" Gingerpaw exclaimed. Cliffkit who seemed frightened just a moment ago was now bright and spirited.

"Yeah! We thought that if you took these cats, then maybe you could take us too." Take them! The last thing he needed right now was two extra cats to protect and deal with. The two gazed at him with pouty eyes.

"Paaaleeeeaaasseeee." they begged, pursing their lips. He rolled his eyes.

"Alright, fine. But only because it's too late for you to turn back." Drizzle took careful steps towards the new cats and sniffed them gently.

"You smell funny."

"Mmhmm." Swift and Fog hummed. Sunflower scolded and swatted their noses with her tail.

"Don't be so rude you three. They smell just fine." Salsa came padding up to the rest of them with a friendly smile.

"Hello there. I'm Salsa and this is my mate, Sunflower. And these are my kits, Fog, Swift, and Drizzle."

Crowfeather took notice of Cliffkit. His eyes were staring wide at Drizzle. _Perhaps they will make good friends._

"I suppose we should get going.,"Crowfeather chimed,"To wherever that may be."


	8. Lost and Found ch8

**Hey! So I decided to try something a bit different for White Throat's voice when he's speaking to Crowfeather in the real world(not in a dream). Anything that is in bold italics( _like this_) is White Throat speaking to Crowfeather. If that is too confusing, do let me know. I hate reading things that are confusing and I wouldn't want you guys to have to struggle to read the story. **

**Have a good day and enjoy :)**

**_**

**Chapter Eight**

A flash of ginger fur and claws flew by his face. There was a shriek of terror that cut off abruptly.

"Well done, Gingerpaw. You're pretty good at catching mice for a once WindClan cat." Crowfeather complimented. Gingerpaw trotted proudly as she brought the mouse to him. It was quite a plump one, good enough to feed two cats. Dropping the mouse at his paws, she smiled at him.

"Thanks. Rabbit never really appealed to me so I just learned to catch mice."

"That will definitely come in handy. Now, let's go catch some more prey and bring it back to the rest." The two stalked off into a small patch of trees. Crowfeather had left the group next to a dead bush not too far behind. Gingerpaw touched her nose to the ground and sniffed, her green eyes dead ahead.

A faint _crack_ caught their attention. Two fox-lengths in front of them stood a squirrel snacking on a nut. Sliding his claws out, he lightly scraped the ground, signaling to her that there is a squirrel. Gingerpaw glanced at him and pointed her tail to the right. _Oh, that's smart. _She would go to the right and run along its side while he chased it in a straight line. Once the time was right, she'd pounce.

Nodding, he dropped into a crouch. She disappeared behind a tree. Slowly moving forward with his tail low and paws as light as air, he stopped. The squirrel looked up from his nut and took off. This was the time. He bounded up from the crouch and bolted after it. Grass and dry undergrowth crunched under paw.

A stray bird fluttered above him. _Come on, Gingerpaw. Get it now!_ All at once, she came sprinting at the squirrel and quickly gave it the killing bite.

"Great catch! Let's bring these back to the rest and eat. I want to see if they want to continue on for today or rest until tomorrow."

The bush came into view followed by the group. Cliffkit and Drizzle were sitting side by side in a calm conversation while Fog and Swift were batting at each other's tails. Salsa's eyes lit up when he spotted the fresh-kill that they were bringing.

"That's quite the catch, Crowfeather." Sunflower mewed. Cliffkit beamed at Gingerpaw.

"Gingerpaw, Ive been telling Drizzle about Clan life! She says she wants to be a medicine cat."

Perplexed, Crowfeather turned the the young she-cat. A medicine cat? He thought about it for a moment. She would make a good one, that's for sure. She had the gentle and helpful nature that most medicine cats shared.

"Is this true, Drizzle?" Crowfeather asked. She smiled slightly while nodding her head. "Well, I suppose I could teach you about the life of a medicine cat. In fact, if you all would want, I could teach you about the life of a Clan. The young ones could train like apprentices and you two could train as warriors."

Squeals of excitement rang out from the kits. Swift nearly tripped over his own paws as he tumbled with Fog.

"That would be awesome! Do we get cool names too?" Swift inquired. All of a sudden, the words that White Throat spoke to him in a dream echoed in his ears. _Let your past guide you. _Did this mean he had to...had to form another Clan? A Clan all his own? No, it couldn't be. Could he even do that? All sorts of questions and uncertainties toiled in his mind.

_I will train them for now. But if prompted otherwise, no Clan will be formed...and these dreams will be kept secret. _He glanced over at Salsa, who was just now beginning to tear into the mouse Gingerpaw caught. _Kept secret for now._

_ "_If you would like proper Clan names, I can give you proper Clan names." he nodded.

"Yay!" the kits hollered. Sunflower stepped over to her kits and nuzzled them with her nose.

"Well, let's all rest for today and you can have your cool names tomorrow."

_xXx_xXx_

_ It was cold and the wind blew gently. Crowfeather knew he was dreaming, so he waited for White Throat._

_ "Hello Crowfeather." White Throat appeared in front of him. Blinking in greeting, Crowfeather sat and watched him._

_ "Hello White Throat." The White tom found a place beside him and simply stared into the distance. Crowfeather did the same. There wasn't really anything in the distance. All he could see was a blank sky._

_ "I see that your friends have taken an interest in Clan life. Say, what do you suppose you should do?" To Crowfeather, this seemed like a rhetorical question. If this cat could hear his thoughts then surely he would know that he planned to train them._

_ "The younger ones want to learn the ways of an apprentice, so I plan to be their mentor. Sunflower and Salsa will learn to be warriors."_

_ "You plan to mentor _all_ of those little ones? That will be a pawful." he purred. He was, indeed, right. It was hard to mentor one apprentice let alone five. What did he get himself into? "Perhaps I can help you."_

_ "Help me? How? You're nothing but a cat that walks in my dreams." White Throat chuckled, his deep voice thundering._

_ "Oh but I'm not _just_ a cat in your dreams. In fact, I am much, much more. His head began to ache with confusion. White Throat made no sense whatsoever. _

_ "Alright then. How are you going to help me?"_

_ "You will see in due time, my young friend. Now return to your friends and give them the knowledge of a true Clan cat._

A poke in his flank woke him. Standing there was Fog and Swift.

"Wake up Crowfeather! It's time to give us our new names!" Groaning, he pulled himself to his paws. Today would be the day that these kittypets would become somewhat like Clan cats. There names would be changed, their habits would be different, and they would be different overall. A spark of excitement ignited in Crowfeather's heart.

It had been so long since he had an apprentice and now he would have five.

_ "_Alright then. If you're going to become apprentices, then first you must learn what an apprentice is.", he stated," An apprentice is a young cat above the age of six moons. They train for as long as their mentor thinks is right before becoming a warrior. In a Clan, your name would go from ending with "kit" to ending with "paw"."

Drizzle, who had found her way to them a moment ago, twisted her head in confusion.

"So right now, I would be Drizzle_kit_ then Drizzle_paw_?" Crowfeather nodded.

"Yes. Now you three aren't quite six moons of age yet, but that won't be an issue. After all, we aren't actually in a Clan." Crowfeather looked at the three cats and straightened his posture. " The three of you, please step forth." The gray tom took a step forward. His tail twitched with happiness as he gazed at Crowfeather. "Swift, do you promise to listen to your mentor and StarClan at all times?"

Swift opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Then he squinted his green eyes.

"Wait, what's StarClan?" his voice was curious. Oh mouse-dung! How could he have forgotten to teach them about the most important part of being a Clan cat? StarClan!

"StarClan is a Clan of all the cats that die. All the honorable cats the die in the Clans go to StarClan."

"How do they _go_ to StarClan if they're dead?" Drizzle asked. _This is going to be hard to explain._

"Their spirit goes, not their physical body. They live peacefully in the stars." All three of them stood in awe. "Now, back to the naming. Do you, Swift, Fog, and Drizzle promise to listen to your mentor and StarClan at all times?" In unison, they nodded their heads pridefully.

"We do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your names. From this moment forward, you shall be known as Swiftpaw, Fogpaw, and Drizzlepaw." The three new apprentices bounced up and down with their tails flying. Crowfeather couldn't help but smile at them. He wondered if StarClan would be proud of him. Could they even see him this far out?

"Come on! Let's go tell the others!" Drizzlepaw squealed. Running off, they disappeared._**C**__**ongratulations,Crowfeather**. _A voice whispered into his ears. He knew it was White Throat_. __This is going to to be tough. I've never trained five apprentices at once! _**_No need to worry. I will be with you every step of the way. Now, the first step of their training should be to teach them about Clan life. Tell them about the daily life of a Clan and the basic beliefs. _**This sounded reasonable to him. He figured if they knew about what being a warrior and Clan cat was really about, then maybe they would put an extra effort into their training. _Alright White Throat. I will do that._

xXx_xXx

A few days had passed and the group had traveled some distance. The air slowly began to reek of Twolegs and their trash. Crowfeather knee if their were twolegs...there were cats...and dogs.

"Crowfeather, what's that smell? It reeks!" Drizzlepaw squeaked from behind.

"That's the stench of Twolegs." Gingerpaw promptly replied. In front of him, Crowfeather watched as Cliffkit and Fogpaw were chatting away. Wide grins had grown on their faces and both of them giggled wildly.

"Ew! Twolegs stink." Cliffkit spat. As they continued to walk, the sun rose higher and higher into the sky. Despite leaf-bare making it's slow and steady arrival, the sun sent its hot rays down to them. Crowfeather could feel the sweat beginning to form on his forehead. Salsa trotted to his side in a friendly manner.

"What do you say we go to those twoleg houses and see if we can find something to eat. They've always got something tasty." A rumble erupted in his belly. He was, indeed, hungry. Everything in his warrior blood told him not to eat anything from twolegs...but he was so hungry.

"That sounds like a good plan." Salsa smiled with content.

"Sunflower, we are going to head to the twoleg houses and see if we can find food." The golden she-cat blinked in agreement and rounded up her kits. Preparing a plan in his head, Crowfeather flicked his ear, gesturing for everyone to listen.

"Twolegs can be dangerous, as well as dogs and kittypets so be on alert. Drizzlepaw, Gingerpaw, and Cliffkit go with Sunflower. The rest of you come with Slasa and I."

"Should we meet, hmm, say at that tall pine tree?" Her tail pointed directly at a very tall pine tree just outside of a twoleg garden. It's long, spindly needles and branches stood out like a black cat stuck in a snow storm in the sparse environment around them.

"Yes, we will meet there." Crowfeather meowed in response. Crowfeather and his party made their way towards the houses. Sunflower and her party tromped down the opposite way and headed towards a peculiarly blue house.

Almost instantly, tantalizing aromas began to caress his senses. There was definitely a family of mice nearby and possibly a finch fluttering somewhere close by.

"Should we go after that warm smell?" Swiftpaw peeped. Warm smell? Could he be referring to the mice? Salsa chuckled and nudged his son lovingly.

"I think you mean mice, Swiftpaw. The warm smell is the mice that are near." Chuckling, Crowfeather signaled for them to find the family of mice. By following their noses, the hunting party was led to a small twoleg nest. It appeared to abandoned. The wood planks were nearly all rotten, each of them covered in slimy green moss and algae.

With a cautious tap, he poked the floor of the nest with his claw. It was definitely sturdy...and a bit mushy.

"The mice are somewhere inside. Fogpaw and Swiftpaw, as apprentices, I want you to go inside and see if you can catch anything. Come back out once you've finished."

"Yes Crowfeather. We'll do our best." Fogpaw promised. The two scampered inside with happy tails and determined paws._ Their first apprentice task. I hope StarClan can see this._ Salsa bunched his legs and sat, curling his tail around his front paws. Crowfeather noticed that the gray tabby seemed joyful.

"Crowfeather, do you think, perhaps, we can become something like a Clan? With set rules and standards and all?" He cringed. White Throat had mentioned something similar in a previous dream and he did not want to think about that.

"I suppose so."

"Well, even if we don't, thank you for giving my kits something new and hopeful. They really do enjoy being apprentices."

His heart felt warm with his friend's comment.

"Also, could you teach us more about Clan life while we eat later? I'm dying to know more." Thoroughly intrigued by the curious request, Crowfeather nodded.

"Yes, I can do that. I'm sure the kits will love that."


End file.
